Knife



Oct. 22, 1957 P. H. UNslNGl-:R 2,810,194

KNIFE Filed June 25, 1956 INVEN TOR. Phi/fp' H Uns/'nger u) BYQMQQM;

ATroeNEYs United Sttes Patent O I 2,810,194 KNIFE Philip H. Unsinger, Fremont, Ohio Application June 25, 1956, Serial No. 593,692 3 Claims. (Cl. 30-321) This invention relates to a multiple purpose knife and has for its primary object to provide a tool that is simple and safe in its operation and can be made inexpensively.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool particularly suitable for cutting threads and twine when the blade is in one position, and for cutting other and heavier objects and surfaces when the blade is in another position, and in which the tool handle itself may be used for many purposes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevational view of a tool embodying the present invention, with the blade in housed position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the tool with the blade in its extended position;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a suitable blade;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the blade shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of a tool showing a modified form of blade lock.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a handle or body which may take any suitable configuration, but which preferably terminates in a relatively sharp tip 11. In one form of the invention designed especially for use by seamstresses, the tip of the handle is made of such dimensions that it can be inserted under basting threads and serve to remove them.

At its upper end the handle or body 10 is provided with a throat or diagonal opening or recess 12, having a relatively narrow entrance 13. A blade 14 is disposed in a generally central slot 15 in the upper portion of the body and is pivoted intermediate its ends on an axis or pivot 16, which preferably passes through the body of the blade centrally thereof.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawing, the blade 14 comprises an edge 17 that extends rearwardly from a sharp point. The body of the blade is contoured in such a manner that when it is swung to one of its normal positions about the pivot 16 no part of the body of the blade extends beyond the upper end of the body or housing 1t) and the point thereof is completely protected. The blade 14 is perforated centrally as at 18 to receive the pivot member 16, and at the opposite side of the pivot from the point is provided with an operating extension or tab 20. As is apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 the tab 20 always extends out of the slot 15 at the rear of the housing in such a position that it is readily -accessible to the user.

Any suitable means may be used to lock the blade 14 in a pre-selected position. In some instances the friction of the blade with respect to its pivot point is suiiicient to keep it from moving to the position in which the point is exposed, once it has been deliberately moved to the position in which the point is housed. In other instances a more positive lock may be desirable since the user may wish to store the tool with the blade in its housed position. In this case a more positive lock may be obtained by bending the tab 20 into a plane offset from the principal plane of the blade, and providing a recess 22 in the slot into which the offset portion can snap when it comes into registry.

Another simple lock is shown in Fig. 7 and includes a locking dog 30 pivoted on the blade tab 20 and having an ice end portion 31 that can be moved into a position of registry with a recess 32 in the body when the blade is in its housed position. When it is desired to release the lock and to move the blade to the position in which the point is exposed, the dog is rotated about its pivot to bring the end 31 ont of the recess 32 after which movement the blade is free to swing in the slot 15 to the position shown in Fig. 2 in which the point of the blade and its forward cutting edge are exposed.

It will be seen from Figs. l and 2 that the blade 14 has two definite positions of operation in which different functions are performed. When the blade is in such a position that the point of the blade is housed, its edge 17 is exposed in the recess or throat 12. The blade is then well suited for such purposes as cutting threads or twine. It will be noted that the force of such a cutting operation is taken by the blade on a line falling to the rear of the pivot 16 so that the force of cutting tends to move the blade counterclockwise or to retain it in its housed position. The free end of the body forming the upper part of the slot 13 acts as a hook to draw thread or twine into the slot 12 and against the edge 17 of the blade, so that the knife functions even though it is ,in its closed or safe position.

if the operator desires to expose the point of the blade, he moves it clockwise about the pivot by means of the operating tab 20 until the tab strikes against the bottom of the slot 15. The point and forward edge of the blade than protrudes or extends from the housing as shown in Fig. 2 and are then well suited for such cutting operations as are usually performed by an exposed sharp pointed blade. It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the cutting force tends to move the blade in a clockwise direction around the pivot or to retain it in its operative position. No force is set up by cutting which tends to move the blade into its housed position. Such movement must be made deliberately by the user, through the tab 20.

While the tool of the present invention has been disclosed in conjunction with a specific form and disposition of the parts, it should be readily understood that numerous modifications and changes may be made, particularly in the form of the housing, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A cutting tool comprising a handle or body having a projection from one end of the body forming with the body an elongated recess, a slot extending through the projection and into the adjacent end of the handle, a pointed blade pivotally mounted on the projection adjacent the restricted end of the recess, said blade being disposed in the-slot and extending in one position so that the pointed blade is covered by the tip of the projection and in another position in which the pointed blade is disposed upwardly of said projection, said blade having a tab on the end opposite said pointed end extending beyond said handle for changing the position of the blade from one position to the other.

2. A structure according to claim 1 in which there are means for locking the blade so that the point of the blade is covered by the tip of the projection.

3. A structure according to claim 2 in which the locking means for said blade comprises an offset portion of said blade tab and a cooperating registerable recess in said body, said recess communicating with said slot.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,555,142 Levin May 29, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 677,862 France Dec. 19, 1929 

